tsfr 


From  "  Blind  Bartimeus."]  No.  31. 

THE  IMPROVIDENT  TRAVELLER, 


BY    REV.    WM.    J.    BOaS,    D.  D.,  OF    VA. 

I  saw  a  man  beginnings  long  journey.  It 
was  a  most  perilous  journey,  through  a  wild,  in- 
hospitable  country,  Tt  did  not  seem  so  at  first ; 
a  green  and  flowery  lane  led  from  his  dwelling 
The  road  was  smooth,  the  day  bright,  friends 
near,  the  prospect  fair.  He  set  gaily  off  in  an 
easy  carriage,  attended  by  assiduous  servants. and 
followed  by  wagons  loaded  with  all  curious  pro- 
vision for  present  amusement  or  need.  Song  and 
fragrance  filled  the  morning  air,  and  though  as 
the  early  hours  flew  by,  these  fled  with  them, 
still  his  spirits  were  high,  and  the  wheels  rattled 
merrily  over  the  graded  way.  The  smiles  and  con- 
gratulations of  friends*saluted  him  as  he  passed, 
and  some  envied  him.  He  counted  himself 
happy,  and  rejoicing  in  his  admirable  appoint* 
ments,  gave  up  his  heart  to  pleasure.  The  even- 
ing of  the  first  day  has  come,  and  lo  !  the 
carriage  is  going  down  a  hill.  How  steep  it  is 
getting-!  Faster  and  faster  it  goes.  The  air  dark- 
ens, the  gloom  thickens, it  grows  cold;  and  faster, 
faster  rolls  the  carriage  downward.  Nothing  can 
check  it.     He  tries,  the  servants  try      He  shrieks 


*  THE  IMPROVIDENT  TRAVELLER. 

for  help,  but  in  vain.  Downward  dash  the  horses. 
And  see !  at  the  bottom  of  the  hill,  a  river, 
dark  and  without  a  bridge.  The  road  leads  into  it. 
In  rush  the  horses,  and  with  struggles  and  groans 
and  plunges  of  agony,  all  disappears. 

But  our  traveller  did  not  die  in  the  stream. 
At  the  oftier  shore  he  came  forth  from  the  water, 
cold,  desolate,  alone.  His  servants  were  gone.  His 
treasure  was  gone.  His  amusements  were  gone. 
And  on  that  bleak  shore,  in  that  bitter  clime, 
bound  still  for  that  awful  journey,  I  saw  him 
standing,  pale,  weak,  in  helpless  despair.  On,  on 
he  must  go.  He  was  hungry,  but  he  had  no  food  • 
thirsty,  but  there  was  no  water;  foot-sore,  but  lie 
must  walk.  See,he  totters,but  he  has  no  staff;  dan- 
gers assail  him,  but  he  has  no  defence  ;  remorse 
gnaws  him,  but  he  has  now  no  resource.  An  irre- 
sistible destiny  urges  him,  and  while  the  hunger 
ever  bites,  and  the  way  grows  rougher,  and 
horrors  thicken  about  him,  on,  on  he  must  go. 

Yet  he  knew  all  this  from  the  first,  but  coun- 
ted it  nothing.  All  his  preparations  were  for 
the  pleasant  road,  through  green  and  sunny  fields, 
fie  seemed  rich  then.  Men  called  him  so,  all 
but  one  honest  soul,  who  frankly  told  him  that 
his  arrangments  were  short-signted,  wretched,  . 
and  that  if  he  went  thus,  his  folly  was  as  egre- 
gious as  soon  his  poverty  would  t  e  dreadful.   But 


THE  IMPROVIDENT  TRAVELLER.     3 

he  was  called  a  rude  man  for  his  pains,  and  bid- 
den begone.  Why  should  he  be  ever  disturbing 
the  present  joy  with  his  doleful  prophecies  ?  The 
very  sight  of  him  made  one  melancholy,  and 
his  voice  seemed  to  toU  out  his  warning,  like  a 
dismal  bell  at  a  funeral.  "Let  us  use  the  joys 
we  have,  while  we  have  them,  -nil  let  the  future 
take  care  of  itself!"  So  he  spoke,  and  so  he  went; 
and  now  there  he  is. 

Nay.  you  need  not  tell  me  that  my  picture  is 
preposterous — that  there  is  no  such  fool  on  earth. 
I  know  how  wise  the  children  of  this  world  are 
in  their  generation.1  and  how  unnatural  all  this 
would  be,  if  I  meant  the  petty  concerns  of  this 
life  alone.  But  suppose  I  strip  off  the  veil,  and 
tell  you  that  eternity  i.<  that  awful  journey,  and 
life  that  peasant  lane,  and  the  body  that  easy 
carriage  in  which  the  soul  sets  out  so  gaily,  and 
death  that'  bridgeless  river,  where  friends  can  go 
no  further,  and  servants  must  forsake  us,  and  all 
the  treasure  of  earth  go  down  forever  ?  Where 
now  is  the  un naturalness?  Has  it  not  become 
natural  enough — tame  even,  from  its  very  com- 
monness? Thus  from  your  own  mouth  I  condemn 
you,  and  from  the  shock  you  feel,  when  the  whole 
scene  is  bounded  by  an  inch  of  time,  convict  you 
of  unutterable  madness  in  preparing  for  the  little 
'Luke  xvi.  8. 


4     THE  IMPROVIDENT  TRAVELLER. 

course  of  this  life  only,  and  going  all  unfurnished 
for  everlasting  ages. 

O  souls,  let  me  deal  truly  by  God's  "Word,  and 
by  you.  Let  me  tell  you  that  you  are  poor,  mis- 
erably poor,  and  in  danger  of  eternal  poverty. 
Poor?  You  have  no  Almighty  Comforter  for 
your  sorrows,1  no  Infinite  Redeemer  for  your 
sins,2  no  Eternal  God  for  your  portion.3  You 
have  no  solid  peace  in  this  world,4  no  well- 
grounded  hope  for  another,5  no  security  for  one 
moment  more  out  of  hell.6  You  are  an  alien  from 
God's  people,  a  stranger  from  his  covenants  of 
promise.7  You  are  without  the  only  blood  which 
can  pardon,8  the  only  Spirit  who  can  purify,9  the 
only  righteousness  which  can  justify,10  without 
title  to  heaven,11  without  meetness  for  jV2  without 
any  hope  of  it,  except  a  hope  which  is  false  and 
shall  fail  you  in  the  day  of  need.'"1  Ah,  yon 
are  without  Christ  and  have  no  God,  and  that 
is  poverty  indeed,  unspeakable,  intolerable  ! 

I  Jqhn,  xiv.  17.       2  Acts,  iv.  12.  3Mat..  xxiv.  51, 
4  Isa.,  xlviii.  22.       5  Job,  xi.  20  ;  Prov.,  xi.  7. 

c  Mat.,  xii.  19,  20.  7  Eph.,  ii,  12.  8  John,  iii.  18. 
9  John,  iii.  5,  6.   10  Job,  xxv.  4;  Rom.,  iii.  19-20 

II  Rev.  xxii. 14,15  12IIeb.  xii.14.  I3Matt.,vii.21, 20,27 
14  Eph.,  ii.  12. 


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